New Blog

I have a new blog.  I emailed it to some of you and sent a message to some of you on facebook.  If you are one of my "secret" readers who reads but never comments, please email me or comment here, and I will send you the new address.  The new blog is not locked, but I'm not posting the site address here.  Happy reading!

It Seems To Be True

Alas, I believe I was able to post the cartoon because it was a small size.  When I tried to post a photo just now, I was once again, out of space.  So, it appears there are a few options, but none of them seem as easy as just starting a new blog.  Here's a link to one of the sites I found that has an "easy" fix. http://www.blogbulk.com/2009/03/uploading-pictures-in-blogger-advices.html 

I just can't be bothered with all of that so a new blog will be coming your way...maybe later today.  But first I must go put my classroom together--had to move Tuesday and it's a MESS!

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Perhaps Karen is correct, and it's a blogger error.  It let me post this, but it was very small--gigabit wise.  I hope Karen's right!  :)  

And yes, MB, the girls, and I are headed out early tomorrow!  Good times!

Blogger Update

Here's the deal: Blogger allows 1 GB of photo space before they start charging you for space.  They charge a monthly fee for the additional space.  I WILL NOT pay to blog.  Will not.  I have decided to start another blog off the travel blog my family has.  I'll get back to you when I've got it going--maybe even tonight!  Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving.

Houston, we have a problem...

Just got a notice from blogger that I have filled up my photo quota.  I can post no more photos.  The big bummer in this is not that I need to start a new blog, but that it also applies to the grown-up blog I just started.  Shucks!  Not sure what I'm going to do.  New blog?  No photos?  Quit blogging?  Any ideas????

An Upcoming Wedding

As I mentioned on Facebook, the prince is in a life skills class where they, among other things, plan and produce their own wedding.  In his class there are 4 boys and about 12 girls.  I posed the question on Facebook...will he be a polygamist or will he divorce and remarry several times so everyone gets a turn?  Someone else on FB suggested same-sex marriage was the way to go!  

Here's the update.  There will be two weddings in the class.  The prince and his friend will each be marrying a girl in class.  The other two boys will serve as best men.  The brides will each have a couple of bride's maids, and the rest of the girls will have other jobs pertaining to the wedding.

The prince is so good to his mom.  He told his teacher straight up that there needed to be photos and they would need to be sent to me so I could blog them.  I love that kid!  His friend who made it to Hollywood week of American Idol last year (we think she made it that far again this year though no one's talking right now) will be singing at the double ceremony.  

And he had to plan a honeymoon!  What the prince has learned by his senior year of high school is that one should work smarter, not harder.  They were given $30,000 for their honeymoon.  Ever practical, I suggested he take a quick trip to the nearby ski resort for $500 and use the rest for a down payment on a house! Instead he found a web site with an all-inclusive (less planning on his part that way, thus working smarter, not harder) package to snowmobile in Yellowstone.  I'm not sure what he'll do with the extra cash.  Oh wait!!  This isn't real!!! Is it???

Stay tuned.  I hope to have more fun coming your way soon!

Ahhh...Edward

Ahhh...I love me some Edward.  Sunday the princess and I went with our BFFs to the final movie installment of the Twilight series--Breaking Dawn, Part 2.  This might be the finest of all the Twilight movies, and I'll be honest and say that some of them aren't that good.  But this one has one-liners zinging through the whole movie.  Bella (Kristin Stewart) is still a marginal actress, at best, but Jacob and Edward are HOT!  There, MB, I said it.  Jacob is hot too, now that he's not so YOUNG!!! Good movies and great times with our besties! 

One more addition to "The Art Forger"

I forgot to mention something sort of important in my "The Art Forger" review.  The three stories are linked because of a huge art theft.  That's sort of central to the story, and I failed to mention that!  :)  One more thing, the book leaves you wondering how many of the great art works hanging in premier museums around the world are actually forgeries.  Many of them could be!!! 

About "The Smoke Room"

I am giving "The Smoke Room" by Earl Emerson 3 stars.  This is the story of a fire fighter who has a ton of bad luck fall on him, coupled with his inability to act in a stand-up manner quickly.  His coworker has stolen $12 million dollars in bonds from a house they were called out to, and this begins a spiral of bad deeds as he tries to do the right thing, but never tries too hard.  Does he finally straighten it all out?  You'll have to read the book to find out!  If you're curious about the inner workings of the fire business, you'll love all the detail in this book.  I thought it was a little much and skimmed some of those parts.  The author is a real fire-fighter, so he knows his stuff when it comes to fire-fighting details. 

Love This PHOTO!!!!

Back at TWIPR a couple of weeks ago there was a "professional" photographer (someone's sister).  She took photos free of charge, and hers are much better than mine.  This one is my favorite.  

Wiinter Formal

Since the princess and Andrew go to different schools, she got to go to his winter formal tonight.  She already had the dress and shoes.  It only cost her a flower and some breakfast money.  Tonight they were going to the dance with several (5) of Andrew's cousins.  It was a big group, and they all seemed very relaxed and ready for fun!  You'll see how much more relaxed it was with the last 3 photos.  

 The princess and Andrew.

 Several of the girls were going w/o dates.

YOU GO, GIRLS!

 Hiking up her dress to cover her cleavage. 

(Wouldn't have seen that at the last photo session.) 

Helping her get her heal out of the soft grass.

Posers!

Hanging the Lights

Today was a gorgeous day and perfect for hanging the Christmas lights.  I didn't get a photo of the prince up on the roof this year, but did get them finishing off the mailbox!  Thanks, men.  They look GREAT!  Let the holidays begin!

About "The Art Forger"

I gave "The Art Forger" by B.A. Shapiro 3 stars.  I saw this book reviewed in a magazine and thought it sounded good.  It was.  It's the story of a young, female artist who is very good are reproductions of classic works.  She is asked to reproduce a painting with possible illegal reasons behind it.  She accepts the job and thus begins the interweaving of the story of her painting this, a  story of a series of events that happened to her 3 years earlier, and  a story of events 100 years ago that are tied to the current painting she is working on.  The author does a great job of tying the 3 stories together.  I found it a bit difficult to follow at times but only because I was unfamiliar with the art terms that were used regularly.  This was a good read.  I recommend it.

Choir Trip

I wish I had a photo!!!  The prince headed north to his annual district music festival.  Several choirs from around the state met and worked under a guest conductor.  The stories are many, but one of the best was this:

He packed his tux, shoes, socks, white undershirt.  Somehow he forgot the white tux button down shirt.  Oops.  An hour before the big concert he's getting dressed and realizes this.  No time to shop.  What to do? He improvised.  He had a couple of girls pull his white t-shirt up high.  He tied his tie around it.  Then he made two paper triangles (like the footballs we made in school when we were bored) and taped them to the collar of the t-shirt so it looked like a button-down collar!  He was sure he'd get busted by his choir director, but she didn't even notice.  Whew!  He admitted his error in class when they got back.  She just laughed.  Whew, again!  But I sure do wish I had a photo!!!

One more story:

They stay with kids from the host school.  He and 3 other boys from his choir stayed with a nice family.  When I checked in with him Monday night he said, "Yeah, they're nice.  They're Mormon.  But I'm going to prison for murder before this is over!"

"Why????"

"I'm going to kill one of my roommates.  I am staying with the 3 kids I dislike the most from my choir."

Ever the sympathetic mother, I replied, "It'll be good practice for college dorm life."

He didn't kill anyone though he did end up leaving the bedroom and sleeping in the living room because one of the kids was snoring so loudly.

"Louder than your dad," I asked?

"At least Dad's snoring is rhythmic."

I beg to differ...

Girls' Cruise!

The post I'm sure you have all been waiting for is now here!  I got back Friday from our totally awesome trip.  This trip was full of fun and surprises at every turn.  We left last Monday and flew to LA.  The weather was warmer than expected, which was a great surprise, and we had no problem getting to the boat or onto it for that matter.  Our dinner reservations were a bit messed up, so Shelley and I promptly went to find the maitre d' (not our first cruise rodeo), who was able to fix the problem but did manage to drop my Sail and Sign card behind a podium, never to be found again.  Ever.  And for those of you who have never sailed, your Sail and Sign card is like your heart or brain on a cruise.  It opens your cabin door, it's how you pay for everything (except the casino, though you can do that now too) on the ship, and it's necessary to get off and on the ship.  So Guest Services hooked me up with a new card, and we were on our way!  Here's a peak at some of the fun.  There will be more posts to come because I got some great shots here and there!

 Carnival Inspiration

This cruise line will get it's own post one day.

I have much to say, and most of it is good!

Catalina, CA

 Me and the sisty.

I have no photos with the besty, and it was her trip!

 In Ensenada, Mexico Tina and I toured a winery.  

At the winery they had a bull fighting ring.

 The winery was beautiful, 

and the wine tasting was great!

 Just in case you thought I stole the boat photo off the internet, 

here's proof I really was on a cruise ship--towel animal!!

 When the boat docked Friday we had time for a tour of LA.

Hollywood and all the touristy sights.  

It was great.  

Thanks, MB, for inviting me on your birthday trip.  I had a GREAT time!

(Protecting herself from the sun with her drink umbrella!)

Review: "Pitch Perfect"

The princess and I went to see "Pitch Perfect" Monday.  It's a college version of Glee, and stars no one really famous, but it was still a pretty funny movie.  It's rated PG-13 and full of sexual innuendos, but parts of it are very funny, and the song mash-ups are great!  Maybe the princess will get this soundtrack in her stocking for Christmas!  

Happy Birthday, Lynelle!

Happy Birthday, Lynelle!

Here's wishing you a wonderful year full of delights.

Enjoy!

Cheer Poster

Here's a sneak-peek at this year's cheer poster.  They actually photo shopped the JV and Varsity together.  I'm not in love with the slogan on the bottom!

State Volleyball

The girls' volleyball team headed to the state tournament Thursday, and  they brought the cheer team (Varsity) with them.  So the prince, as ever, was up for a road trip.  The state volleyball title dream ended pretty quickly, but the kids had fun.  Today he's off to a choir festival for two days, and they only have 2 days of school next week.  Lucky dog!

Movie Review: An Unfinished Life

As luck would have it, after reading "An Unfinished Life", the library had the movie available to rent.  So I checked it out and watched it.  Major disappointment!  SLLLOOOOW moving.  I didn't feel that way reading the book, but the movie was slow.  Not only that, but it had great potential.  It stars Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman!  But they couldn't save it.  My advice: don't bother with this one.

Thanks to the Veterans

Best. Parents. Ever.

Last night the BEST PARENTS EVER let the princess have a little get-together to finish out the birthday celebrations.  12 girls and 2 boys came over for food, sledding, s'mores, and Nerf wars.  If the noise level was any indication, they had a great time.  The boys left at 10 pm and then is was time for the sleep-over portion of the night.  Sleep is a relative term.  I put ear plugs in at midnight!  

I fed them breakfast--18 eggs/cheese, 18 waffles, OJ, and milk later...at about 9 AM, and they headed home shortly after that!  

Like I said: Best. Parents. Ever.  Don't even try to compete with us!

TWIPR

The TWIRP gods smiled on us tonight, and we were able to get to both kids' photo sessions while it was still daylight and reasonable warm.  This whole photo think is a BIG deal.  I have many more photos of various poses and with other props, but I think you get the idea.  I may post a few more later, but for now...this will do.  As I type this they are each out to dinner with their friends.  The princess and her group went to an Italian restaurant, and the prince and his group are eating Italian at someone's home.  The dance starts at 8:30.  In both cases they are going to well-chaperoned homes afterward for movies.  Wahoo!

 He did that whole, Catholic, "Hail Mary" hand signal thing 

before she came at him with a stick pin!

 The princess and Andrew

 All of these kids are freshman with the exception of Andrew.

She cheers with 2 of the girls.  

The kids on the left...he's in sneakers, and she's in sequined sneakers.

Smart!!

 She's not really taller than him.

It's just how they were standing on the hill.

 JoAnne and the Prince

 The prince and his buddy are the only seniors in this group of juniors.

The girl 4 in on the left was his date to TWIRP his sophomore year.

And now...just for fun!

 Work it, girl!

Travis and the prince

About "An Unfinished Life"

I am giving "An Unfinished Life" by Mark Spragg 4 stars!  Yep, 4 stars.  I really liked this book.  It was a page turner for me, but not in the sense of a thriller/Grisham type novel.  

This is the story of a woman and her daughter escaping an abusive relationship.  They head "home" to a place the woman left before the daughter was born.  She lands at the home of her deceased husband, and the story really becomes about her and her father-in-law trying to get along.  There is another old guy living on the farm, and I loved the dynamics between all these characters.

This writer really gets it right, describing the Wyoming landscape and farm in good detail, but not too much detail.  And he slips in and out of third person in strange and odd ways, but not in confusing ways.  

This book was made into a movie in 2005 that starred Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford, and Morgan Freeman.  I have no memory of that, but I'm hoping it's on Netflix.  Good read.  I highly recommend it!

Happy Birthday, Mariah

Mariah will be turning 18 while I'm away next week.

Happy 18th birthday, Miss Mariah!

Quit making us all feel so old!

You are beautiful.

Have a great year!

Happy Birthday Mark

Mark will celebrate his 18th birthday while I'm gone so I'm posting this now!!

Happy 18th Birthday, Mark!

Enjoy your senior year.

And nice animal you've got there!

Congratulations!

So true!!!

Halloween Fun!

Oh my!  That's kind of scary, really.  A door bell, a "gulp" cheerleader, and a baseball player.  Check out the ribbon on Andrew's cap.  Best accessory ever!

A note about the door bell.  Earlier in the evening, she was in the car with the princess and me.  At that time she was wearing candy cane striped tights, the orange headband seen here, and face paint.  We were killing time, and the princess was showing us that the best way to keep your neck skin nice and tight was to tip your head back and make fish lips.  So the princess and I were practicing this when Christian said, "Wow.  This is the first time I've been the most normal person in this car!"  Hilarious!!!  

Oh, Becky!

This is how cousin Becky and her roommates handled Halloween this year.  Can't believe it worked!

Surprise!

It's hard to turn 15 and be so busy!  The princess had a busy day yesterday, and this weekend will continue to be BUSY, so there was no time to celebrate!  Wait!  Me to the rescue.  With a little quick planning, and an offer from Grandma to bake her favorite cake, and generous moms who were willing to let their kids stay out a little late on a school night, we were able to pull off a surprise party!  Mary Beth kidnapped her and Christian from dance, her friend Madi came over, and a party was born!  She was surprised and happy.  Thanks to everyone for helping us pull it off!  The cake was great, but the company was better!  

Is this a great job or what?

Yesterday one of my students brought cupcakes to class.  Aren't they cute?  And they were tasty too!  This is a great job!

Happy Birthday Beautiful Princess!

Look who is turning 15 today!  Our baby is sure getting old!  Growing up!  Getting on with her life!  It's a little sad, but we sure are proud of her and love her so very much!  Have a great day, little girl!